West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-07-21

TEXT; The time Of my departure IS at
hdnd-II Timothy w., &
The way out Of this world is so blocked up
with coffin and hearse, and undertaker's
spade and Scrcwdriver, that the Christian can
hardly think Us he ought OF the most cheerful
passage in all his history. We hang black
instead Of white over the place whore the
good man gets his last victory. We stand
weeping over heap of chains which the freed
soul has shaken off, and we say: Poor
mani What a pity 10 was he had TO come
10 thisn Come 10 WHAT BY the TINA
the people have assembled at the obsequies
the man has been three days so happy
that all the Joy of earth nccumulate1
would be wrctchedness beside il, aud Inc
might better weep over you because you
nave TO stay, than you weep over him be-
cause he has 10 go. 1t Is n fortunate
thing that good man does not have To whit
20 see bis own obsequies, they would be so
discordant with his own experience III the
lsraelltes should go back TO Egypt and mourn
o'er the brick lulns they once left, they would
not be any more silly than that Christian
VINO should tOrSake heaven and come down
and mourn because he had TO leave this
world. Our ideas of the Christians death
arc morbid and sickly We look upon IL as n
dark hole, in which a man stumbles when his
breath gives out. This whole subject is odor-
Gus with varniSh and disinfeCtants, instead OF
being sweet with mignonette. Paul, in my
text, takes that great clOd of n word, DEATH
and throws 1t away, and speaks of his de.
parture.-a beautiful, bright, suggestive
word, descriptive of every Christians re-
lease.
Now, departure implies starting place
and place of destination. When Paul left
this world what was the starting pointi 1t
was scene of great physical distress IL was
the Tullianum, the lower dungeon of tho
idamertine prison. The top dungeon was
bad enough IL having no means of ingress or
egreSs but through an opening in the ton
Through that the prisoner was lowered and
InTOlnl al fhn 14nI 4 -. 4
light received. 1t was a terrible place. that
upper dungeon; but tho Tullianum was
the lower dungeon, and that was still
more wretched, the only light and the
only ar coming through the roof and that
roof the floor of the upper dungeon. That
was Pauls last earthly residence Ii was n
dungeon just six feet and "A half high. 1t was
a doletul place 1t had the chill of long
centuries OF dampneSS. IL was filthy with tho
long incarceration of miserable wretches It
was there that Paul spent his last DAYS on
earth, and it is there that l see him to-day,
IN the fearful dungeon, shivering, blue with
the cold, waiting for that old overcoat which
ne had sent for up TO Troas, and which they
had not yet sent down, notwithstanding he
had written for it.
II some skilful surgeon should 20 into that
dungeon where Paul is incarcerated, we might
find out what are the proSpects of Pants Nv
ing through the rough imprisonment I'm tho
hrst place, he is an old man. only two wears
short OF seventy. At that very time when he
most needs the warmth and the sunlight. and
the fresh air, he is shut ont from the SIM
What are those scars on his anklesl VIM
those were gotten when he was fast, his feet
IN the stocks. Every time he turned the
nesh on MS ankles started. What are
those scars on his backi You know he
was whipped five times, each time getting
thlrty-nine strokes-l95 bruises on tho
back count themD made by the Jews with
rods OF elmwOOd, each one of the 1876 strokes
ipIIIhsing tine blood. Look at Pauls face and
iook at ms arms Where did he get those
bruisest l think it was when he was strup-
ghng ashore amidst the shivered timbers of
the shlpWreck l see a cash in Paul's side
Where did he get thnti / think he got that
IN the tussel with highwaymen, for he had
ts9en III peril Of robbers and he had money of
his own He was a mechanic as well as nm
apostle, and | think the tents he made were
as good as his sermons
There was a wanneSs about Pauls looks
nat makes thati l think part of that
came from the fact that he was for
twenty-tour hours on a plank in the
Medltelranean sea, suffering terribly, be-
lore he was rescued; for he SAYS posi-
lively; was night and day in tho
ueep Oh, worn out emaciated old
man! surely you must be melancholy
NO constitution could endure this and he
cheerful But press my way through tho
prison until come mp close to where he is
ana by the faint light that streams through
the opening see on his face supernatural
JOY ana 1 bow before him. and | saw:
Aged man, how can You keep cheerful
amidst all this gloomN His voice startIes.
the darkness of the place as lie
cries OUT Il am now ready 10 Je
offered and the time of nv departure i nj
mani Hank. what is that ,huflmg of feet
In the UPPER dungeonf Why. Paul has am
invitation 20 "A banquet, and lie is going TO
Glne 10 DAY with the king. Those
snuiiilnS feet are the feet OF the execu-
uonera Iney come, and they crv down
through the hole of the dungeron: Hurry
up, old man. Come now: get vourseif
IeaIy why Paul was ready He had
taI.n 10 70 PACK up. lie had no baggage 10
take; lie had been ready a good while /
see MN rising up and strengthening ont
ms 81 Tened limbs. and pushing be X his
whlte halr from his creviced forehead and
see nun io'hing up through the hole in the
ROOF OF the dungeon into the face Of mis-
execution and hear him say: III am
now ready % bee offered, at the time of
my departure Is no hand Then they lift
him out of Che dungeon and they start
win MN ~ the place Of execution. They
say; Hurry along, old man. or you will
PC th9 weight ot our spear. Hurry
along. How far is it, says Paul. I'VE
have 70 travelN .'Three miles, Three
mules is good way for an oil
man 70 travel after he has beer
whipped and crippled with Tdai-
treatment But they soon get TO the place
OF soxccution-Acqu8e Talvia-and De is
fastened u the pillar Of martyrdom IT
u.Ho not Jake any strength TO Gle him fast
lie makes mo- ri isiaucs O IauIl WHY
not strike for your ufet You have great
many friends here With that withered
hand just launch the thuuderboit Of the uno-
pie upon these Infamous soldiers NOl Paul
was not going % Interfere with his own coro-
nation. DE was TOO glad to- gO see him
looking up into tle face of his executiouer
AMI, os the grim official draws the sword
raul calmly saws. Il am now ready TO be-
offered. and The time OF my departure is
az hand But ] put my hand over my
eyes ] want not % see that last -t~uggle
One sharp, keen stroke and Paul docs go TO-
the banquet and Paul does dine with the
King
What a transition it wasr From the
malaria or Rome 30 the finest climate in
en- the universe the zone Of eternal
beauty and health His ashes were nut
in the catacowbs Of Rome bat in one
moment the air of heaven hsthod fr0m
bis soul the last ache From .hIrer.lt.
from dungeon from the biting pain OF tHa
elm-wooi rods. from the sharp sword Of
tn headsman be goes into tho most brilliant
enDiaEe N heaven king among kings.
H1l.i tlde oi tI- -1.n'h0DI rushing out and
htfethhg forth hands oft welcome for do
IeiLy think That n5 On tho right hand Of God
D. Dhrlsf ~ on the right hand OF Christ is
iaqi tlc second great boz heaven.
ho cnaureI kings likewi-a Before tho
h2ur of death and up ~ tds last moment
he was uu1fr .erY. fhe thick ueoked the
Crue. eyed tno hfhy HppeJ the uptured
leaiufe oi tnat m1u bringing down
~ us - this very day the horrible